The Runner
by Catalina H
Summary: Skyler isn't your typical teenager but she's not your typical witch either. She turned her back on the wizarding world a long time ago. Now back with her father, will he be able to keep her from running again? DISCONTINUED
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I wish I did, but I don't. Skyler however is mine. Just again I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER!**

**A/N: This story is taking place during the summer before Harry's 5th year. Might continue throughout the school year, I don't know yet. I know some of the chapters are pretty short, but that's just the way I see them. I've kind of had the idea for this story for quite a while. I finally just started writing. I hope you like it! Reviews are appreciated! ENJOY!**

The Runner

Prologue

Skyler was your typical seventeen year old, with a few exceptions. Her nose and belly button were pierced, she had five tattoos, and she had a knack for getting into trouble. When she was little her mother had always told her she was just like her father. Of course, that wasn't a compliment anymore considering he had been in prison most of her life. Even though she had tried, her mother had never been able to hide the truth from Skyler. She was three years old when her mother had packed their bags and moved them to Brooklyn, NY. She still remembered her father, they shared the same last name, and she was a lot like him. Her mother couldn't hide him from her forever. Maybe that had been the reason her mother had left without saying goodbye, just like they had done with her father. No goodbyes and no reasons, nothing. Just gone.

There was no denying Skyler was special. Her parents had met at a school for witches and wizards in Britain. They were both pretty powerful too, and so was Skyler. However, when her and her mother came to America, they left that world behind. Sure, her mother still used magic around their apartment, even showed Skyler some too, but as far as the rest of the wizarding community knew, they were dead. After her mother left, Skyler was put into foster care, and lived with different muggle, non-magical people, families. When she started developing magical powers she couldn't tell anyone what was happening, she had to hide them. When the day came that she received a letter to attend a school for witches and wizards, she had to make a choice between her two worlds. She chose to ignore the one she'd been born into, to reject the wizarding world. As hard as she tried, though, she couldn't ignore her gifts. So she embraced them, taught herself to control them, and in the process, discovered a way to keep her parents with her.

Two years ago her father had escaped from prison. Skyler regularly checked the news in Britain for instances just like that. Once she heard he had gotten out, she went to look for him. He was on the run, but she had succeeded in finding him. They had spent a few days together, but he convinced her to go back to Brooklyn. He promised her as soon as he was able to stay in one place he'd write her and she could come back, but at the time it wasn't safe for her. As much as she hated it, she knew he was right so she went back to Brooklyn, and waited.

Yesterday, Skyler had gotten that letter. She threw her clothes into a duffle bag, packed what few prized possessions she had into her backpack, and took off. Now she was on a plane to London that would be landing in a couple hours. All she could think about was that in a few hours she would see her father. It didn't matter that the situation in the wizarding community was bad, it didn't matter that she was running to the very thing she and her mother had run away from, and it didn't matter that all the people she would be meeting, besides her father, didn't even know that she'd ever existed. All that mattered to Skyler was that she wasn't going to be alone anymore.


	2. First Meeting

First Meeting

Her father hadn't given her an exact address, but she knew where to go. The house was magically hidden, but he'd told her how to get around that.

Now, she was standing in front of a rather large house trying to muster up the courage to knock. _Come on Skyler, just breathe. It's no big deal, just knock on the door_, she was telling herself. She took a deep breath and knocked. An older lad with red hair answered.

"Hello..." she said, seeming rather confused.

"Bludgers," Skyler answered. That was the word they used to let each other in, or so she'd been told. It must've been true because the woman stepped aside and let Skyler in.

"And who are you, dear?" the woman asked pleasantly, though she was looking at Skyler's appearance with a disapproving look.

Skyler started to answer, but she saw a very familiar face smiling at her. He started walking toward her, but she dropped her bags and ran to him first. He scooped her up in one of the biggest hugs of her life.

"I missed you, kid," he told her.

"I missed you too, dad."

When they finally released each other, they noticed the group of people who had seen the interaction between them and were now staring in shock.

"Hi," Skyler said, half-waving at them.

"Who are you?" A gruff looking older man asked.

"Skyler, Skyler Black." The entire group's eyes went wide open.

"She's my daughter," her father told them.


	3. Her Mother

Her Mother

After introductions had been mad, before all the questions could be asked, Skyler had been showed her room and started to unpack.

"Need some help?" her father offered.

"You're trying to avoid them aren't you?" Skyler observed.

"You always could tell if I was lying," he said, smiling.

"It's just because I'm too much like you." They both chuckled.

"So do you need any help?" he asked again.

"No offense dad, but I've been taking care of myself for a long time." She saw his face drop. "Besides, it's not like I have that much to unpack anyway," she told him, pointing to her two bags.

"True," he agreed. "Look, Sky, I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For not being there for you." His face had dropped again.

"It wasn't your fault. Mom's the one who left you." He noticed that tone.

"Still haven't heard from her, huh?"

"No, and I don't expect to," Skyler answered, with more of a bite in her tone.

"Sky..." her father started, but she held up a hand to stop him.

"Don't worry about it, I'm fine," she reassured him, taking a seat on the bed.

"That's not what I'm worried about, I'm worried about you," he told her, sitting down by her.

"Dad..." She rolled her eyes at him.

"Sky..." He looked her straight in the eyes.

"Look, I admit it, being back here is a little weird, but I've been waiting for this," she gestured at the two of them. "for fourteen years. I can handle a little weird."

He just smiled at her, and pulled her close, just holding her.

"I missed you so much," he told her, kissing the top of her head. "You have no idea how much."

"If it's anywhere near how much I missed you, I think I do have an idea," she replied, head still resting against his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

"It's more," he assured her.

"I really doubt that," she told him firmly.

They both just sat there for a minutes. He was still holding her when Lupin came in to tell him the meeting was getting ready to start. He kissed her forehead and followed Lupin.

"Maria's her mother, isn't she?" Lupin asked on the way downstairs. "Sirius?"

"Yeah, she is."

"She looks like you." Sirius smiled. "Does she act like you too?" Lupin inquired, again Sirius smiled.

"Yep," was the answer.

"How much like you?" Lupin asked cautiously.

"Just wait Remus, you'll see." Lupin had a worried look on his face.


	4. The Young Pup

The Young Pup

The next day Harry had arrived, but he hadn't been able to talk to anyone except Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George. They were on their way down to dinner when they heard a door slam.

"FRED!" a female voice yelled.

"Oh no," Fred muttered, and took off running when he saw her coming after him.

The others watched as she tackled him and took back whatever it was he had taken, it was small so they couldn't tell what.

"Sorry," Fred tried as she started to walk away, she just glared at him.

"Who was that?" Harry asked as George helped Fred up.

"An almost equally talented prankster," Fred told him, smiling.

"I think she'll be able to give us an honest-to-goodness run for our money," George commented. "So to speak of course," he added quickly.

"Oh hey Sirius," Ron said casually as a shaggy black dog walked up to them.

"He looks different," Hermione observed.

"Oh that's nice," Fred said sarcastically.

Harry was still staring at the dog, he thought something was off, but wasn't sure what. As if the dog heard something, it turned quickly and left the room.

"Hello Harry," Sirius said, walking up to the group.

"Have you lost weight?" George asked.

"Huh?" Sirius seemed genuinely confused.

"You're dog form looked a little smaller," Hermione explained. A smile crept up Sirius' face.

"Sky..." he said, a little louder than normal.

The girl from earlier came back into the hallway, laughing. Sirius gave her a look, but couldn't help smiling.

"What? Oh come on, it was funny!" she stated.

"What are you saying Sirius?" Hermione asked. He looked at the girl.

"Show them," he told her.

"Show us what?" Ron asked.

"This," she told him, transforming into the shaggy black dog they'd just seen.

Everyone's, except Sirius', jaw dropped. Lupin walked up to them, seeing both Sirius and a shaggy black dog.

"You've got to be kidding me," he said, looking at Sirius incredulously. Sirius just smiled.

"What's so unbelievable?" Skyler asked after she had returned to human form.

"Not many people can do it," Hermione told her. "What level were you studying at in your old school?" she asked, curious.

"Oh, um...a junior," Syler answered. "I should've been a senior, but I got suspended too many times."

"You didn't go to a wizarding school?" Hermione asked with a confused look on her face.

"Nope," Skyler responded, but after seeing her face, decided to explain further. "As far as the wizarding community is concerned, I don't exist and my mom's dead."

"So did you teach yourself to do that?" Lupin asked.

"No, I just...started doing it," she shrugged.

"Mum said to tell you guys to hurry up," Ginny said before turning to go back to the dining room.

"We should go on down," Lupin said.

Everyone except for Sirius, Skyler, and Harry followed Lupin downstairs. There was an awkward silence for a minute before Harry began to understand.

"So you're..." he started.

"Skyler," she responded.

"She's my daughter," Sirius told Harry, who took a deep breath.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Harry asked his godfather.

"And that's my cue," Skyler said, more to herself than the two beside her. "I'll see you guys down there." With that she headed downstairs, leaving Sirius and Harry alone.

"I'm sorry," Sirius told him. "The only other people who knew about her were your parents. Her and her mother went to America a couple months before..." Harry nodded. "Well, you know. I saw her a couple years ago for a few days, but it wasn't safe."

"I get that, but that doesn't explain why you didn't tell me," Harry said, slightly impatient.

"I was just used to keeping her a secret," Sirius said flatly. "You mad?"

"No, just...surprised."

"Understandable." They stood in silence for a minute. "You hungry?"

"Starving."

"Let's go eat."


	5. Memories of the Past

Memories of the Past

"So, Skyler dear, how old did you say you were?" Mrs. Weasley asked, making small talk around the fire.

"Seventeen, but I'll be eighteen in a couple months."

"So, that means you were...how old during the last war?" Mrs. Weasley continued, trying to pry information from her. Skyler and her father exchanged a look, both knowing what she was doing.

"I was three, almost four, when me and my mom went to Brooklyn," Skyler answered, trying not to sound annoyed.

"So, Sirius, when you had her...you were...what?"

"Molly there's plenty of time for this later," her husband told her, unsuccessful in his attempt to help them evade his wife's interrogation.

"Skyler was born a few months after we left Hogwarts," Sirius told her exasperatedly.

"Oh my," Mrs. Weasley tried to sound shocked, but no one bought it. After a look from her husband she changed the subject, but not by much. "So, dear, where's your mother? Surely she didn't let you come here all by yourself."

Skyler clenched her fists, though no one except her father noticed. "She's gone," she told Mrs. Weasley calmly through gritted teeth.

Mrs. Weasley was about to say something, but Skyler got up first, trying to avoid further conversation on the subject. She bid everyone goodnight and went upstairs and got ready for bed.

As she was standing over the sink in the bathroom, looking at herself in the mirror, she flash-backed to the conversation she'd overheard the night before.

_"Did you see her? She must be his daughter. All those tattoos, and piercings. Can you imagine the affect this will have on our children? They'll start to think that kind of rebellious behavior is acceptable. And what about poor Harry? How do you think he's going to take this?" Mrs. Weasley was ranting to her husband._

_"Oh, Molly. Honestly, Harry is his godson, I'm sure he's thought about that. We've raised our children right, we don't need to worry about them. Besides, she seems like a nice girl. Just give her a chance."_

_"What was her mother thinking? Letting her child run wild. And why on earth is she OK with letting her daughter travel this far to see a man who doesn't have the slightest clue about how to be a father. No wonder they left. That child needs discipline!"_

KNOCK KNOCK.Skyler was awakened out of her flashback.

"Just a sec," she said, opening the door to find her father.

"You OK?" he asked.

"I'm fine, I was just getting ready for bed," she told him calmly.

"I know what you were doing, I'm just not sure I believe the whole 'I'm fine' routine," he said, with a slightly concerned look on his face.

"Well, I am," she lied with ease. Years of practice had taught her that repetition usually knocked away the doubt.

"Liar," he accused.

"Am not," she said defensively, walking into her bedroom.

"Oh come on Sky, you're the one who said you knew when I was lying because you got it from me. You really think I'm not gonna recognize my own technique?" he asked, watching her closely. She took a deep breath.

"I just hate talking about mom, OK? It makes me angry," Skyler admitted.

"Do you really hate your mother that much?" he sighed.

"Don't you?" she snapped.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he retorted, walking over closer to her.

"Come on, you can't tell me you didn't hate it when she walked out on you, taking me with her," Skyler accused, knowing she'd hit a nerve when he winced at the memory.

"Of course I hated it! I hated it, but I didn't hate her," he snapped. Skyler didn't look him in the eye, just walked over and sat on the bed. Sirius sighed and walked over to his daughter, bending down in front of her so that he was eye-level.

"You still love her, don't you?" Skyler muttered, still not looking at him.

"Yes, I do. But Skyler, look at me," he said, turning her face to look at him. "I love you more than anything, and when you guys left it was like a part of me was gone. I hated it, it was hell, but I never hated your mother, not for a second. You shouldn't either."

"Why not?" she retorted. "You hate your mother. Maybe it's a tradition, Blacks hate their mothers." Sirius couldn't help but laugh.

"So, when you have kids, you want them to hate you?" he retorted back.

"Who says I'm even gonna have kids?" she asked, the attitude she'd acquired growing up in the streets of Brooklyn shining through. He cocked his head sideways, giving her a look.

"Come on smart ass, just answer the question," he pushed.

"Fine, I guess not," she sighed exasperatedly, rolling her eyes.

"Oh-kay," he said, drawing the word out for effect. "Think about that next time you say you hate your mother," he added. Skyler rolled her eyes at him again. He smiled. "Now, get some sleep, I'll see you in the morning." He got up, kissing her forehead.

"Night dad."

"Night kiddo, I love you," he told her as he was leaving.

"Love you too."

Skyler laid there, for what seemed like hours, thinking about everything. About what she'd overheard, her conversation with her father, and her mother. She was used to being alone, taking care of herself, and not worrying about anyone but herself. She finally had the family she'd wanted for so long, her father. Despite that fact, though, Skyler couldn't shake the memory of when her mother left her.

_"WHY WON'T YOU TELL ME?" Skyler yelled at her mother, desperate for more information about her father._

_"Because he's done a lot of bad things, I don't want you ending up like him!" Her mother said loudly, though not quite yelling._

_"HE DIDN'T DO IT! They were his best friends, why would he kill them? Why would he kill innocent people?" Skyler wasn't letting it go, and her temper was flaring._

_"HOW THE HELL SHOULD I KNOW? Now stop yelling and let this go!"_

_"NO!"_

_"You're too damn much like __**him**__!"_

_The next day when Skyler got home from school, she was dreading talking to her mother. She'd gotten into trouble at school again, but the school hadn't reached her yet, no doubt she knew by now though. It would be yet another reason she was getting more and more like her father._

_"Mom? Skyler called when she walked into the apartment._

_No answer. That's strange, Skyler thought, figuring she'd be getting an earful by now. She walked into her mother's bedroom to find it empty. All the drawers open and empty, closet bare with only a few hangers, but the pictures were still there. She had taken everything of hers, but nothing that would remind her of Skyler or Sirius._

_Eight year old Skyler recognized the sight, almost identical to when they had left England, except Skyler had grabbed a few pictures. Her mother had left them all this time. Skyler sank to the floor and cried for about an hour before she composed herself and found a neighbor. That neighbor had called social services, and Skyler started bouncing around from foster home to foster home._

Skyler hated that memory. It was the main reason she hated her mother. When she left England with her mother she wrote a quick messy note, she was only just starting to write full sentences after all, for her father, but her mother didn't know about that. Her mother hadn't left Skyler a note. What hurt the most, though, was that her mother hadn't taken any reminders of Skyler, as if she'd wanted to forget she even had a daughter.

Even after everything, Skyler didn't think she'd had a horrible childhood. Her mother was usually a pretty good mom as long as Skyler didn't mention her father. Even after, when she was in foster care, Skyler didn't hate that so much. She pretty much took care of herself. Sure she broke a lot of rules, even went to juvie a couple times, but Skyler hadn't cared. In fact, she thought it was better than some of her foster homes. She learned martial arts so she wouldn't get beat up or raped again, and it had also helped keep her alive while she was living on the streets when she'd run away, which was often.

Skyler was flooded with memories of the past seventeen years, and ended up crying herself to sleep by about three in the morning.


	6. Rude Awakenings

Rude Awakenings

"SON OF A -" Skyler started screaming when she woke up due to a bucket of water being thrown on her. She looked around and saw no one, but she knew who had done it.

"You OK?" her father asked when he got in the room. He saw her soaking wet and started smiling, trying not to laugh. "What happened to you?"

"Ooh they are so gonna get it," she muttered menacingly, with a mischievous look in her eyes.

Sirius just smiled. He knew that now there was going to be an all out prank war. Not that he minded of course, it would certainly liven things up around here, and drive Kreacher insane.


	7. Pictures

Pictures

"Hey Harry," Skyler called around lunch time.

"Yeah?" he answered.

"Come here, I wanna show you something," she said, motioning for him to follow.

"But -" he started, pointing back to the group he was helping clean up.

"Don't worry about them, they won't notice," she assured him. "Now, come on."

Harry followed her down the hall into her room. Skyler sat down on her bed and pulled out an old book out of her backpack.

"I thought you might like to see this," she said, a little quieter than normal. She was eyeing the book.

"What is it? he asked her, sitting down beside her.

"A few memories I have from before I went to America," she told him sorrowfully. "My mom was gonna throw them out when she found them, so she took the spell off, but I got them and hid them. They're not magical, but I still think you'll like to see them."

"OK."

Skyler opened up the book. There was a picture of her when she was younger, and Sirius' arms around her. There was one of James and Lily, with a smiling baby Harry. Harry smiled at that one. There were a couple of James and Sirius, one with their arms around each other and one with them acting goofy. When Skyler flipped the page again it revealed a two year old Skyler in a chair holding a baby.

"Is that..." he started to ask, pointing to the baby. Skyler smiled.

"You," she stated. "It was taken the day you were born," she informed him. He smiled at the picture, Skyler saw his face. "Apparently, I'm sort of your big sister." Harry looked at her. "Well, our dads were like brothers, and they are our respective godfathers."

"My dad was your godfather?" Harry asked, not sure why it confused him, it made sense.

"Yeah," she said like it was an obvious fact, which it kinda was. "He was my dad's best friend, and your parents were the only ones who knew about me."

"So, I'm kind of your little brother?" Harry asked sarcastically, smiling though. She laughed.

"Yeah, you kind of are," she told him, smiling too. "But don't worry, we used to like each other. Hopefully, that didn't change." She pointed to the next picture.

"When was this?" Harry asked of the picture.

"A year later," she told him, looking at the picture of her three year old self sitting on the floor hugging one year old Harry. "It was taken a few days before me and my mom left." Harry saw the look in her eyes.

"Why did you guys leave?" Harry asked bluntly.

"I dunno. She never told me. I assume it was because she thought I was going to turn out just like him." Harry knew she was talking about Sirius. "Which I guess I kinda did," she added with a chuckle.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, confused.

"Nothing," Skyler lied calmly, but Harry didn't buy it. Skyler closed the picture book and put it back into her backpack. "Anytime you wanna look at it," she started, motioning to the book. "Just ask."

"OK," Harry smiled.

"Come on, we'd better get back before Mrs. Weasley thinks I kidnapped you or something," she said, getting up. They both laughed.


	8. Payback's a Bitch

Payback's a Bitch

Later that night, they were all scattered about the living room. Fred and George were in a corner talking to Dung. Skyler and Harry were playing wizards chess, with Sirius, Lupin, Tonks, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione watching. Most of the others were off talking order business.

"Fred and George Weasley!" Mrs. Weasley shouted sternly from the kitchen.

"Bloody hell, what'd you two do now?" Ron asked, hearing his mother's tone.

"We didn't do anything," the twins replied defensively.

"Then what do you call this?" Mrs. Weasley asked with a deadly bite in her voice. She was covered in roots that were sprouting everywhere.

Everyone was fighting hysterics, but most were losing. She glared at her sons.

"This is one of your little inventions and you're going to reverse it. NOW!" she snapped. They got up to follow her, but shot Skyler a smile of praise.

Sirius noticed this and looked at his daughter.

"Do I even wanna know how you did that?" he asked, curious. She smiled mischievously.

"Probably not," she told him honestly. Remus gave Sirius a look.

"You are so my daughter," Sirius said, smiling.

"Wait, you did that?" Hermione asked Skyler, who just smiled. "They're getting scolded because of you!" she said incredulously. Skyler looked at her.

"Payback's a bitch," she told Hermione, who still looked stunned by her attitude. "In more ways than one," Skyler added. Everyone, except Hermione, cracked up laughing at the pun.


	9. Talking

Talking

The pranks continued nonstop for the next couple of days. The ones who weren't joining in had learned to be careful and stay out of the way. After Fred, George, and Skyler had all been on the receiving end of two simultaneous pranks, which literally exploded, they decided to call a truce.

Even after the truce, though, the pranks hadn't stopped. The trio of pranksters combined their efforts into pranking others.

"Bloody hell!" Remus cursed under his breath as he walked into the dining room, where Sirius was reading a paper.

Sirius looked up to see his friend covered in green slimy goo. He couldn't help himself, he burst into laughter. Remus shot him a scowl, but to no avail.

"She really is your daughter," Remus stated as he took out his wand and removed the goo. "You definitely weren't kidding when you said she acted like you," he continued, sitting down by his friend.

"Why would you think I was?" Sirius asked, setting down his paper.

"I didn't," Remus retorted. "I was hoping."

"Sorry," he muttered, without much enthusiasm. "You have to admit, though, it does liven the place up," Sirius added with a smile. Remus looked at his friend intently.

"So what exactly happened with Maria?" Sirius' face fell, but Remus didn't back off. "I knew you guys were involved, but you never even hinted at having a kid."

"I know, and I'm sorry," Sirius told his friend solemnly. She found out she was pregnant during seventh year. We wanted to keep it a secret until we graduated. Of course, Lily figured it out, and told James. We convinced them to not say anything. When Skyler was born, we made James godfather, but with the war we didn't want to put her in unnecessary danger. So..."

"You kept her a secret," Remus finished.

"Yeah."

"So why did Maria leave? You two were always so close."

"I don't know," Sirius answered honestly. "She'd been acting weird, distant even, for a while. Then one day, they were gone." Sirius paused, taking a moment so his emotions wouldn't get the better of him. "I found this note from Skyler, but nothing from Maria." He handed Remus a piece of paper.

It was a child's messy handwriting.

_Dad, _

_Mum says we gotta go. I be back tho! I LOVE YOU! _

_Sky_

"Wow..." Remus muttered as he read the note. He handed Sirius the note back. "That was it?" he asked, unable to believe Maria wouldn't have given a reason.

"I didn't see or hear from either of them until I saw Skyler a couple years ago."

"How did she find you? What did Maria say?"

"I'm not sure how she did. I guess she just tried where she thought I'd go," Sirius answered. "I still haven't heard from Maria, and neither has Skyler."

"What do you mean?" his friend asked.

"Skyler said Maria left pretty much the same way several years ago."

"I can't believe it," Remus muttered.

"Neither can I," Sirius agreed.


	10. Revelations

Revelations

"Sky! Can you come down here?" Sirius called up the stairs.

"What's up?" she asked, coming to a sudden stop at the bottom of the stairs, sometimes she was almost as clumsy as Tonks. The rest of the teens weren't far behind her.

"Dumbledore wants to talk to us," he told her.

"Why?"

"I dunno." When they all started following, he turned back, with a 'I'm sorry' expression. "Sorry guys, he said just us." They moaned. "Sorry."

The group waited in the living room, while Skyler followed Sirius into the kitchen.

"Ah, you must be Miss Black," said a silvery-haired older man, who stood to shake her hand.

"Skyler," she corrected, shaking his hand.

"Skyler," he said politely. "You really are the spitting image of your father."

"Thanks, but let's cut the crap. What do you want?" she replied.

The order members in the room seemed surprised that she spoke to him like that, with a couple exceptions. Mrs. Weasley just shook her head in disapprovingly, and Sirius knew his daughter too well to expect anything else. Dumbledore just smiled though.

"Very well, we will cut right to the chase," he agreed politely. "I want you to consider joining us at Hogwarts this year. I hear you are very skilled, so I have no doubt you would be able to join the Weasley twins in seventh year. You would only get one year, but I th-"

"Stop," Skyler interrupted, holding up her hand so he wouldn't continue. "You don't have to sell it, my answer's no," she said bluntly.

"And may I ask why?" Dumbledore asked calmly, though he did look taken aback by her answer.

"Because I don't want to," she stated simply.

"So how exactly do you plan on controlling those special abilities of yours?" he asked, seemingly curious.

"What 'special abilities' exactly are you talking about?" Skyler asked accusingly.

"For one, you are a animagus, and for another, your telekenesis," he answered, still calm.

"And how would you know about that?" she asked in a very threatening tone, eyes looking like daggers. Sirius put a hand on her shoulder to stop her temper from flaring further.

"Your mother," Dumbledore told her. Skyler and Sirius looked shocked.

"When did you talk to her? Were you planning on telling us anytime soon?" Sirius asked incredulously.

"How would she even know?" Skyler asked, furious.

"Well, I didn't talk to her, I would have told you soon, and I'm not sure," Dumbledore answered calmly, but starting to seem exasperated. Skyler shook her head and turned to leave. "Wait, please. You **should** come to Hogwarts, you will be safe and we can teach you how to control your magic."

"I AM SAFE," Skyler said loudly, shrugging her father off. Sirius knew it was useless to try and calm her down now. "AND I CAN CONTROL IT!" she continued.

"So prove it," Dumbledore countered, still remaining calm. Everyone exchanged nervous glances.

He pulled out his wand, which promptly went flying across the room. Skyler was staring at him, but not moving. Moody pulled out his wand, it also went flying.

"What the bloody hell?" Moody cried.

"You don't want to start this with me," Skyler warned.

"You've only proved that you can do a simple little trick," Dumbledore pressed, trying to get her to lose control.

Skyler started walking toward him. Dumbledore flew up against the wall, feet dangling three feet above the ground, and arms pinned against the wall. His wand flew through the air again, pointing at his throat. Skyler walked over to him and leaned in closer.

"Still think I can't control it?" she asked in a menacing voice.

"You've made your point," he told her, still remaining calm. Most everyone else in the room was staring in shock.

"You still haven't told me how my mother knew, and I know you know. Don't lie to me," Skyler's voice was still menacing.

Dumbledore just looked her in the eyes until she understood.

"Oh shit," she muttered when she figured it out.

"What?" Sirius asked in a worried voice. Skyler turned to walk away, Dumbledore fell down the wall, landing on his feet though.

"She's a Death Eater," Skyler told her father, so quietly only a few people in the room heard her. Sirius' eyes went wide open, he couldn't believe it. Skyler walked out without another word.


	11. Breaking Down

Breaking Down

"Skyler? What's wrong?" Harry asked, seeing her run past the group.

She didn't answer, just continued running up the stairs. Sirius came out only a few seconds behind Skyler. He saw Harry standing, looking where Skyler had just ran.

"Don't worry, she'll be fine," Sirius assured his godson, and then followed his daughter up the stairs.

"Wonder what happened," Hermione wondered out loud.

"I dunno," Harry replied, still watching the spot Skyler and Sirius had disappeared from.

"What was all that racket about?" Ron also wondered.

"I dunno, but she can be bloody terrifying when she's mad," Fred told them.

"And she's a pretty powerful, and unique, witch," George added.

Sirius found Skyler curled up on her bed. He shut the door behind him and walked over to his daughter. He sat down on the bed by her.

"Sky..." he started, trying to find words to say, putting his hand on her arm to comfort.

"Leave me alone," she muttered, trying to keep from crying.

"You know I'm not going to do that," he told her.

"That's why we left you isn't it? That's why she left me," Skyler asked, already knowing it was true.

"Probably," Sirius told her honestly.

"Why? She saw what they were doing. She knew they're evil. Why would she join them?"

"I don't know, Sky," Sirius answered, wondering the same thing himself.

"Why did she have to come back? Things were just fine without her. Why couldn't she just stay away?" Skyler asked, not really expecting an answer, just saying it to get it out. Sirius knew this.

He didn't really know what to do. He just laid down by her, pulling her into his arms, and held her while she cried.


	12. What Happened?

What Happened?

Skyler didn't feel like being around people right now. She had skipped breakfast and lunch. She was just sitting on her bed listening to her muggle CD player, turned way up so she couldn't hear anything else.

KNOCK KNOCK. No answer. KNOCK KNOCK. Still no answer. POP

"What the hell?" Skyler asked loudly when she opened her eyes to find Fred and George standing in front of her.

"She's in here guys," George called. The rest of the teens came into the room.

"We were worried about you," Harry told her, seeing the 'What's going on?' look on her face.

"Well, I'm fine. You can leave now," Skyler replied sarcastically.

"Then why have you been in here all day?" Fred asked, just as sarcastic.

"I felt like it," she retorted.

"OK, spill. What happened last night?" Harry asked, sitting down by her.

"Nothing."

"Then what was all that racket?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing."

"Well, we're not leaving without an answer, so you better just go on and tell us," Fred told her, with a rather smug look on his face. Skyler sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Fine. Dumbledore wants me to go to Hogwarts," she told them.

"That's great! With your talent you'd probably be able to go into seventh year with Fred and George," Hermione said excitedly.

"That's what he said," Skyler responded flatly. Harry noticed her tone.

"So why don't you seem happy?" he asked.

"Yeah, it'll be great having another prankster!" Fred exclaimed.

"I'm sure it would be, but I'm not going." They all just stared at her.

"What do you mean you're not going?" Ron asked, confused.

"I mean I'm not going to Hogwarts," Skyler said, getting up to put away her CD player.

"So you're just going to stay here and do nothing?" Ginny asked.

"Why? Why don't you want to go to Hogwarts?" Harry asked her, slightly peeved.

"Because I don't, so drop it," Skyler responded firmly, looking Harry in the eye. He could tell she wasn't going to give them an answer.

"OK."

"So did you prank Dumbledore or something?" Fred asked, trying to relieve some of the tension in the air.

"Yeah, is that what that racket was about?" George added.

"No, I didn't prank Dumbledore," Skyler replied.

"So, where did the racket come from?" Hermione asked, still trying to get an answer.

"From me proving him wrong," Skyler said bluntly, and a little impatient.

"How so?" Fred and George asked cautiously, knowing a little about what she could do when she was mad.

"He said I couldn't control it, I can, so I proved him wrong," Skyler replied calmly.

No one asked any more questions about that. They were curious, but could tell she would get really angry if they continued to push it.


	13. Arguments

Arguments

Skyler still wasn't leaving her room, so Harry and the Weasley twins decided to gang up on her. Sirius warned them it probably wouldn't have pleasant results, but they went ahead anyway. They were able to convince her, with only mild argument, to come down for dinner.

As they were headed downstairs Hermione, Ron, and Ginny were standing in the hallway with Fred and George's Extendable Ears listening to an argument going on downstairs. As Skyler, Harry, and the twins got closer they could hear part of the argument without the Extendable Ears.

"You're impossible!" Mrs. Weasley shrieked.

"Me? Listen to yourself!" Sirius snapped back.

"She's your daughter, you need to discipline her!"

"For what? Disagreeing with Dumbledore? She's not the only one, Molly."

"Fine! But you should at least make her go to Hogwarts. She needs to learn structure, and discipline! You obviously haven't taught her anything. Apparently no one has!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means she obviously has no respect for rules or laws, but that's really no surprise there."

"Oh, really? And why is that?"

"You are a bad influence. Where did she learn all of those things? She's just like you."

Skyler winced at that last exchange. Fred saw.

"What?" he whispered, so they wouldn't be caught eavesdropping.

"She sounds like my mother," Skyler whispered back, after a quick hesitation. They turned their attention back to the argument.

"Molly, I'm not going to force her to go," Sirius continued.

"Well, you need to! She doesn't need to drop out of school. She needs to be around other witches and wizards," Mrs. Weasley was trying to reason.

"Well, she doesn't want to go, and I'm not going to force her."

"And why not?"

"Because you back her into a corner and it won't be pretty."

"Being a parent isn't always pretty, or haven't you noticed?" There was a silence for a minute. "Oh, that's right you don't know how to be a parent, you just try and be their friend."

"That's low Molly, even for you. You think I'm a horrible godfather, a horrible dad, what else? Anything else you think I'm doing wrong? Even though you wouldn't know anything about it, you've got to put your two cents in. You think your way is the only way? Try looking at it from someone else's perspective for once!"

The door slammed, and the teens piled into the nearest room to avoid getting caught. They heard the loud footsteps pass the room and continue up the next flight of stairs.


	14. Getting Closer

Getting Closer

"OK, I know th- Oh, sorry," Fred muttered as he entered Skyler's room without knocking first. He found Skyler changing, she was currently in only her low-rise jeans and bra. He could see all but one of her tattoos, her belly button ring, and her black victoria secret bra. His jaw dropped, he'd found her very attractive since day one, but now he could see every curve of her toned body. He tried looking away, but couldn't seem to take his eyes off of her.

"I don't mind," she smirked, walking over to him.

"Sorry, it's just...uh..." Fred couldn't stop staring, but he was also feeling guilty for not turning away. Skyler just smiled, trying not to laugh. She was enjoying watching him squirm.

"It's OK," she assured him.

"You're beautiful," he told her. Skyler looked taken aback.

"Thanks, but I should warn you, I'm not the girlfriend type," she told him honestly. Fred looked confused. "You seem like the boyfriend type, and I wouldn't want to hurt you." She paused, placing her hand on his chest, and then looked him in the eyes. "I don't do relationships, I do casual."

"What if I said I can do casual?" he asked flirtatiously, cupping her hand in his.

"Are you sure?" she asked seriously, looking him in the eyes.

"Yeah, I'm sure," he assured her, leaning in and kissing her lightly.

"Oh-kay," she muttered.

"So? What do you think?" he asked, nervous.

Skyler didn't answer him. She just pulled him in closer and kissed him passionately.

"You ready for this?" she asked when she released him. He exhaled.

"Oh, you have no idea," he said, pulling her into him and kissing her passionately.

They continued kissing as Skyler pulled him over and down onto her bed.

Fred and Skyler were laying in her bed, naked under the covers. Skyler had her head resting on his shoulder, while Fred was caressing her. He seemed to be taking in everything that had just happened. She could tell he seemed to be trying to remember everything.

"Was that your first time?" she asked him, looking him in the eyes.

"Yeah," he whispered. "Are you mad?" She smiled at him.

"No, it just didn't seem like it was your first time."

"Thanks. I just want to remember this," he told her sincerely.

"Do you regret it? Making me your first?" she asked, watching him to gauge his reaction. He smiled.

"Not at all," he replied confidently. She smiled.

"I'm glad." She leaned up and kissed him.

"So what was yours like?" he asked, curious. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to, I was just curious."

"No, it's OK. I don't mind," she told him. "Honestly, it was a little scary."

"Do you regret it?"

"No, he was my best friend and we wanted our first time to be with someone we trusted. We even stayed close afterwards too. We never got romantically involved after that though, we didn't want to complicate our friendship."

"Where is he now?" Skyler broke eye contact.

"He died last year," she told him dismally.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Fred replied earnestly, wrapping his arm around her and squeezing her closer.

"It's OK, but thanks anyway." They smiled at each other.

"Where did you get this scar?" he asked, noticing a scar on the side of her stomach. She put her hand over it to cover it up.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just a childhood accident," she told him, though hesitantly.

"I won't pry," he assured her. "I can tell it's a sore subject for you."

"What?" she asked looking back up at him.

"Every time you or someone else mentions your childhood or your mother, you tense up and start evading questions," he observed. She looked back down. "It's OK. If you don't wanna talk about it, we don't have to."

"Thank you," she smiled, leaning up to kiss him again.

They fell asleep together after talking for a while.


	15. Shocks and Agreements

Shocks and Agreements

"Have you seen Fred?" Mrs. Weasley asked the group of teens at breakfast.

"No," was the unified answer.

"Who you looking for?" Sirius asked, coming into the dining room, eating a piece of toast.

"Fred, have you seen him?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Nope, sorry. I just got up though," he replied.

"So, you have no idea where your daughter is either then?" she shot back.

"Sure I do, she's probably still asleep. She's not a morning person," Sirius answered, looking smug.

"You sure?" she countered, not willing to admit that he knew where his kid was when she didn't know where hers was.

"Yep."

"They might be planning a huge prank," Hermione offered, receiving a curious look from both Sirius and Mrs. Weasley. "Well, they're both big on the pranks," she explained.

Mrs. Weasley looked at Sirius, who rolled his eyes.

"Fine, I'll go check," he surrendered.

"I'll come with you," Mrs. Weasley stated.

KNOCK KNOCK, Sirius listened for an answer. He looked at Mrs. Weasley.

"See, she's probably sti-" he opened the door to find the unclothed and sleeping Fred and Skyler. Mrs. Weasley shreiked. "Skyler Rayne Black, what the hell?" Sirius yelled sternly.

The two sleeping seventeen year olds were awakened to find her father and his mother staring in shock. Fred smiled sheepishly while Skyler seemed normal, but keeping the sheet around her.

"What's up? Is it lunch time already?" Skyler asked normally, running a hand through her messy hair. Sirius sighed and shut his eyes. Mrs. Weasley's jaw had dropped and she looked as if she might've had a heart attack.

"Oh my God!" Mrs. Weasley shrieked when she found her voice again.

"Mom, we were just..." Fred looked to Skyler for help with an excuse.

"Talking and fell asleep," she quickly finished for him. He shot her a 'thank you' smile.

"Without your clothes?" Mrs. Weasley asked, still in shock, eyes wide.

"Uh..." They looked at each other, unsure of how to answer. Sirius took a deep breath and opened his eyes again.

"OK, you out," he said, motioning Fred out of the room. Fred grabbed his clothes and complied, smiling apologetically at Sirius on the way out. Mrs. Weasley followed her son down the hall into his room. You could still hear her shrieking though.

Sirius turned and shut the door. He took another deep breath and turned back around to face his daughter, who had already pulled most of her clothes on.

"What the hell were you thinking?" he asked incredulously.

"I dunno, it just happened," she replied, pulling on her shirt.

"Just happened?" His eyes were wide in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? Remember who you're talking to here, I know you can come up with a better explanation than it 'just happened'."

"Yeah, I remember," she said, standing to face him. "You were like, what? Hogwart's biggest playboy? You can't really say much about me having sex." Sirius winced at that last part, he hated to think about her having sex.

"In some situations I don't want you to be like me," he admitted. "Besides, I hate thinking about my little girl having...sex." He struggled on putting that last word in the same sentence with his little girl. Skyler smiled and walked over to him, grabbing his arms.

"Dad, I'll always be 'your' little girl," she assured him. "But I'm not so little anymore." She looked him in the eye. "You have to accept the fact that I grew up. And whether you like it or not, I **am** a lot like you."

Sirius sighed. He knew she was right, even if he didn't want to admit it. She wasn't a little girl anymore, and he had to accept that. He cupped her face in his hands, and looked her straight in the eyes.

"You're right, you've grown up. And I am glad you're like me, most of the time." They both smiled. "But that doesn't mean I have to be happy about it all the time, especially when it comes to this."

"I never expected you to be happy about it," she told him honestly. "I just don't want you to lecture me or anything. Because, no offense, it'd be a bit hypocritical." He smiled.

"Fair enough," Sirius agreed. "Just lock the door next time." They both laughed.

"Deal," Skyler agreed. Sirius smiled and pulled her into a big hug.


	16. Girl Talk

Girl Talk

"Are you crazy? What did you think you were doing?" Hermione asked in a very stern voice, walking into Skyler's room with Ginny not far behind.

"Excuse me?" Skyler retorted.

"Haven't you ever heard of pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, or WAITING UNTIL YOUR MARRIED?" Hermione continued ranting. "And since when are you guys even dating anyway?"

"How was it? Not that I want to know about my brother or anything, but how is sex in general?" Ginny asked eagerly.

"GINNY!" Hermione shrieked, her eyes wide open as if she couldn't believe Ginny would actually say that. Skyler just chuckled.

"OK, yes I have heard of them Hermione, but haven't you ever heard of a neat little thing called a condom? Or birth control? Besides, a lot of people don't wait until they're married anymore. And we're not dating, all we did was have sex." Skyler answered sarcastically. "And Ginny, I won't give you details about your brother, I could for other guys if you want," Skyler offered. "But sex in general is... well pretty damn great." She and Ginny smiled. Hermione looked aghast.

"Are you insane? You want to corrupt her!" Hermione accused. Skyler rolled her eyes and turned to Hermione.

"OK, she's fourteen, she's not exactly a little girl. And I'm sure she already knows a lot about it, so I'd just be telling her about one of my experiences. Besides, she's the same age I was when I started having sex."

"You were my age? How many guys have you slept with?" Ginny asked, curious, but eager to hear more. Skyler smiled.

"Yeah I was fourteen my first time. But I'm not gonna tell you how many guys I've slept with, you might think I'm a slut." Ginny giggled.

"I already do," Hermione snorted. Skyler sighed.

"You really need to get laid," she said bluntly. Ginny giggled again, and Hermione's jaw dropped. "You want some tips on how to nail Ron?" Skyler offered. Hermione looked as if she might faint.


	17. Relationships

Relationships

"You feeling OK?" Fred asked as he sat down by Skyler, who was reading, on the couch.

"Yeah, why?" she asked, looking up from her book.

"You didn't eat much at dinner," he replied. She grinned.

"My stomach's just been feeling a little queasy. I'm fine," she assured him.

"OK, fine," he said, rolling his eyes. Skyler laughed, Fred joining in.

Mrs. Weasley passed by the laughing teens. She shook her head disapprovingly as she entered the kitchen.

"You need to ease up Molly," Sirius, who was standing in the doorway, told her.

"Oh, and you have no problem with your daughter having sex?" she snapped, raising her eyebrows.

"Of course I do, but there's nothing either of us can do about it," he told her bluntly. "If they want to have sex, they'll find a way to."

"Speaking from experience," she said as a pointed statement toward Sirius.

"You're never gonna let it go, huh? You just hate me because Maria got pregnant in school," he retorted.

"No, I'm not going to let it go!" she shot back. "Not while your daughter is seducing my son!" And with that she walked on into the kitchen.

Sirius watched her go, then turned back to watching Skyler and Fred laughing and talking on the couch. He half-smiled. She looked happy, though he doubted she was looking for anything more than friendship from Fred. Sirius knew that Skyler had commitment issues, she got that from him. They both had different reasons for not wanting to trust people, and for being wary of lasting relationships. Sirius could tell, though, that Fred genuinely cared for Skyler. He just hoped she wouldn't beak the kid's heart.

Skyler glanced at her father out of the corner of her eye. He smiled sheepishly and turned back into the kitchen, taking the hint.

"Your mom hates me, doesn't she?" Skyler asked Fred.

"No, she's just mad about...well, you know," he answered. Skyler chuckled.

"You can say sex, you know," she told him in a sarcastic tone, but then turned somber. "You're mom does hate me though. She has from the first time she saw me." Fred gave her a curious expression. "I overheard her the night I got here. She hates the way I look, my dad, and how much like him I am."

"I don't care what she thinks," he told her, kissing her lightly. Skyler pushed him back though.

"Remember what I said?" she asked. "I don't do relationships like this, I just do casual," she told him firmly. Fred just smiled.

"Who says I'm looking for anything besides sex?" he asked flirtatiously. She smiled, but could tell he wanted more, even if he said he didn't. He leaned in to kiss her again, this time she didn't push him away.


	18. Uh Oh

Uh Oh

Lupin heard gagging and barfing noises coming from the bathroom as he passed. The door was locked.

"You OK?" he asked through the door. No answer, but he heard the toilet flush.

Skyler opened the door to find Lupin there, with a worried look on his face.

"Hey," she said normally. He stared at her. "Oh, I'm fine, it's just a stomach bug," she assured him.

"Here, eat this, it'll help," he told her, handing her a chocolate bar.

"Thanks," she said, taking the chocolate. He smiled, still looking at her. "What?" Skyler asked him. He shook his head.

"You're merely a younger, female version of Sirius." She laughed.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Lupin chuckled.

"Most of the time it is," he told her. Skyler raised her eyebrows.

"Only most of the time?" she asked skeptically.

"Don't worry, only on rare occasions is it a bad thing," he assured her, turning to walk away.

"Oh yeah? So, what are the rare occasions when it's not?" she asked, curious, walking alongside him. He just smiled at her.

"I'll let you figure that one out for yourself," he said teasingly.

"Still thinking like a professor, huh?" she mocked. Lupin couldn't help but laugh.

They continued walking and talking until they got downstairs. When they reached the kitchen, Mrs. Weasley walked up to them. She looked to Lupin, ignoring Skyler.

"Dumbledore wants to talk to us about something," she told him in a hushed voice, as if she didn't want Skyler to hear.

"OK," he told her, then turned to Skyler. "Sorry, but it looks like we'll have to catch up later," he said apologetically.

"See ya," Skyler said, turning to head back upstairs, mainly to fill in the other teens that something was up.

"Actually, you should come too Miss Black," Dumbledore said from the doorway. Skyler looked confused, but followed them anyway.

"What's going on, Dumbledore?" Sirius asked when he saw Skyler come in too. Skyler noticed he looked just as confused as she was.

"You two might want to sit down," Dumbledore told them.

"I'll stand, thanks," Skyler said defiantly, walking over to her father. "What's going on?" she asked him in a whisper.

"I dunno," he whispered back.

"OK, fine, I'll just get to the chase so we can figure out what to do," Dumbledore said.

"Do about what?" Lupin asked, seemingly as confused as Skyler and Sirius.

"We fear Voldemort has a new fixation," Dumbledore informed them.

"Other than the prophecy?" Mrs. Weasley asked anxiously.

"What prophecy?" Skyler asked, curious. The others looked at each other, unsure whether to answer.

"It's a prophecy about Harry, Voldemort wants it," Sirius told her, receiving glares from almost everyone else in the room.

"Yes, well, now there's another one," Dumbledore said, seemingly unconcerned Sirius had told Skyler about the prophecy. Dumbledore turned to Skyler. "It concerns you," he told her.

"What do you mean it concerns me?" Skyler asked impatiently.

"Well, not you directly," Dumbledore clarified. "But he will want you in in order to get to your baby."

"MY/HER BABY?" Skyler and Sirius asked incredulously at the same time.

Everyone looked at each other uncomfortably. Sirius looked pale, and Skyler look as if some cruel trick had just been played on her. Dumbledore looked rather awkward.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I assumed you already knew," Dumbledore admitted sheepishly.

"You've lost your marbles," Skyler told him bluntly, walking out, Sirius followed her.

"What are you doing?" Sirius asked Skyler when he found her searching for something in her room.

Skyler looked up at him frantically.

"What day is it?" she asked quickly. Sirius looked confused, her eyes looked panicked.

"You really think he was telling the truth?" he asked her. "Are you pregnant?"

"Not that I know of. Now what day is it?" she replied hastily, yet firmly.

"Uh...the 22nd I think, why?" he answered, but then saw the panic in her eyes turn to fear. "Sky, what's wrong?" he asked in a worried tone.

"Oh God!" she muttered, then quickly grabbed her backpack. She started running down the stairs, Sirius followed quickly.

He caught up to her in the hallway on the main floor. He grabbed her arm to stop her from running out.

"Where are you going?" he asked firmly.

"To get some answers," Skyler replied just as firm, shaking him off and walking out the front door.


	19. What Now?

What Now?

When Skyler got back, she snuck up to her room as quietly as she could. She was doing everything she could to stay as quiet as possible so no one would hear her. She shut the door, set her backpack down, and slid down on the floor by the bed.

_Jesus Skyler, what have you gotten yourself into now? _She was thinking to herself. _Oh my God. What am I going to do? How am I suppose to tell my dad? And what the hell does Voldemort want with my kid? This is crazy! I can't believe this is happening..._

KNOCK KNOCK. "Skyler?" Sirius called quietly as he opened the door slightly. Seeing her sitting on the floor, her arms wrapped around her legs and rocking back and forth. "Are you OK?" he asked, slightly worried. He walked over and sat down by her.

Skyler was trying to hide her emotions and not cry. She just handed him a folded piece of paper.

"What is it?" he asked, opening the paper. He had a look of confusion when he saw the picture.

"Your grandkid," Skyler answered, wiping a few tears from her eyes.

Sirius opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't. He just stared at the picture.

"I don't think I've ever seen you speechless before," she observed. "I guess finding out your seventeen year old daughter is knocked up will do that to a person." Sirius looked over at her. They both let small smiles creep up their faces.

"Leave it to you to make a joke about this," he half-laughed.

"Well, I am a marauder's daughter," she smiled, but with tears still in her eyes. Sirius put an arm around her, she laid her head on his shoulder.

"So..."

"I'm almost seven weeks," Skyler started somberly. "So, that means I got pregnant back in Brooklyn." He looked at her, she knew what he wanted to know. "I called him," she told him. "It was just a casual fling, we don't want to do this together. So, I convinced him to fill out the paperwork and send it to me. He'll be signing over full custody. It wasn't that hard to convince him."

"Are you sure that's what you want?" he asked her, looking her in the eye. She looked back at him.

"I'm sure," she said confidently. "I didn't really want him involved anyway. It was kind of relief when he felt the same way." Sirius sighed. "Dad, I know this isn't the ideal situation, but..." she paused for a second. "If I'm gonna do this, I'm going to do it without his help."

Sirius was staring at his daughter. He knew she was fiercely independent, but he had a feeling there was more to it. He held her face in his hand.

"You've got me you know," he assured her. She tried to smile, but tears started falling down her face. She leaned into his shoulder and he pulled her closer, hugging her tight.

"I'm scared dad," she said, crying.

"I know kiddo, I know," he said, trying to comfort her.

Skyler cried in her father's arms for a few minutes before pulling back and wiping away the tears.

"Do you believe him? Dumbledore?" she asked him. Making sure she'd dried her face, she looked back at him.

"Do you?" When she didn't answer, just continued looking at him, Sirius sighed and answered her. "OK, not at first. But he was right about the whole baby thing." She looked away, but he continued anyway. "I may not always agree with his decisions, but he's usually right about these things," he told her honestly. Skyler looked back at him, tears in her eyes again.

"Why me? Why my baby? Why is this happening?" she asked heartbrokenly. Sirius exhaled and pulled her into a tight hug again.

"Sky, I don't know why. I wish I did, but I don't."


	20. Are You Sure?

Are You Sure?

"You're what?" Harry asked, astonished.

"I'm pregnant, I'm going to have a baby," Skyler told him for the third time. Harry started stuttering again.

"B-but how?" Skyler chuckled.

"If you haven't figured it out yet, don't ask my dad," she said, smiling.

"Hey, I resent that," Sirius pouted, pretending to be hurt. Skyler and Harry just laughed.

"So who's the father?" Harry asked.

Before Skyler could answer, Fred came in the dining room and rushed over to her.

"Hey, what happened? Are you OK? I mean -" Skyler put a hand over his mouth to stop his rambling.

"It's not yours," she told him bluntly. Fred looked confused. Skyler removed her hand. "I'm six weeks along, and six weeks ago I was in Brooklyn. It's not yours," she reiterated.

"Thank God!" Mrs. Weasley shreiked as she walked by.

Sirius could see Fred looked kind of disappointed. He did feel bad for the kid, but he also was thankful it wasn't Fred's. He knew first hand being a teen parent was hard, and he liked Fred well enough to not want him to go through that. Sirius also knew Skyler was thankful it wasn't Fred's, even if she didn't say it. She liked him, but she didn't want to be in a committed relationship with him. Sirius knew she didn't want to hurt Fred. If it had been his baby she would have had to have told him she didn't want to be in a relationship like that with him, and make him believe it.

"What are you gonna do?" Fred asked Skyler, as Sirius went into the kitchen to get another drink.

"I'm gonna have a baby," she said simply.

"I guess this means you're really not going to Hogwarts?" Harry asked sorrowfully. Skyler looked at him.

"Harry, I was never gonna go to Hogwarts. If I was going, being pregnant wouldn't change that. Lots of pregnant teens still finish school."

"She's right," Lupin told them, sitting down by Harry.

"How are you? Heard you've got a bun in the oven," Bill said, coming over to Skyler when he got into the dining room.

"Yes, I do, and other than the fact that the most disgusting combinations of food taste great, I'm fantastic," Skyler responded sarcastically. Bill laughed and sat down.

"How's the morning sickness?" Lupin asked her. Skyler rolled her eyes at having to answer all these questions.

_Guess this is what I get for getting knocked up,_ she thought.

"Not always in the morning. They lied when they called it 'morning' sickness," she retorted. Lupin chuckled.

"So are you gonna get fat or something?" Ron asked ignorantly. The others glared at him, while Skyler chuckled.

"Yes, and if you say anything about it, my foot will prevent you from sitting down for at least a month," she threatened. Ron gulped, while the others laughed.

"You really are my cousin," Tonks stated. Skyler just smiled.

Sirius came back into the room with a big envelope. He walked over to Skyler, both knowing what it was. She reached for it, but he pulled it back.

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" he questioned sincerely. She glared at him.

"Yes," she said firmly. "Now give me my mail," she told him sternly. After giving her a look, he handed it to her.

"What is it?" Hermione asked. Skyler had pulled the papers out.

"It says I now have sole custody of this baby," Skyler informed her. Everyone except Sirius had confused looks on their faces.

"What about the father?" Hermione continued.

"He signed over all parental rights to me," Skyler told her flatly. She saw the looks on their faces. "We already talked about it. I called him after I found out, and we agreed this would be the best for both of us."

"Are you crazy?" Hermione asked incredulously. Skyler rolled her eyes.

"Why do you keep asking me that? Sheesh..." With that, Skyler walked out and upstairs.

Lupin saw Sirius' face and could tell how he felt about the situation.

"I hope she knows what she's doing," Lupin muttered to his friend.

"She always does," Sirius sighed, walking out after Skyler.


	21. The Letter

The Letter

"Hey kiddo, what's up?" Sirius asked as he entered Skyler's room, seeing her sitting on the bed reading something.

"Nothing," she answered, seemingly distracted.

"So, what's that?" he asked, pointing to the piece of paper in her hands.

"A letter from Jake," she sighed.

"Jake the father?" he questioned, sitting beside her. She looked over at him.

"Yeah." She looked back at the letter, thinking about something. "Here, wanna read it?" she offered, holding out the letter.

Sirius stared at her for a moment before taking the letter. He glanced at it, then back at Skyler, who gave him a reassuring nod.

_Skyler,_

_I know we haven't seen each other since...well, you know. I'm sorry I got you pregnant. I really would be willing to help you, you know that. But since you're not coming back I guess this is the best arrangement. I like you a lot, just so you know. You're beautiful, smart, funny, and you always have something to say. I like that about you. I hope the baby turns out like you. I know you will be a great mom, and I know you can do this. I know you're scared and you're doubting yourself right now, but I believe in you. You can do this! Remember I'm just a phone call away if you ever wanna talk, and if you ever come back to Brooklyn, you know where to find me. _

_I know you'll tell the baby about me and everything, but I enclosed some pictures of me, and us, along with a letter for it when it gets older. __Don't__ read it! I know you, you wanna know what it says. Sorry, but it's for the kid. If he/she decides to let you read it, then fine, but not until then. I want the kid to have something from me. Maybe one day I'll get to meet him/her, but until then this will have to do. Oh, I also thought of a couple names, one for a girl and one for a boy. Maybe you could use them as middle names or something? I put them at the end of this letter. Please let me know whether it's a boy or a girl, and what it looks like. Just call me after it's born so I know whether it's healthy or not. I'm sure you would have anyway, I just wanted to be sure.I'll talk to you then I guess._

_Good luck! Stay safe!_

_Love,_

_Jake_

_Kyle for a boy_

_Kayla for a girl_

When Sirius finished reading, he looked over at Skyler. From the look in her eyes, he knew it hadn't been just a one night stand.

"You really like him, didn't you?" he asked her.

"Yeah, I really did," she answered honestly. Sirius handed her back the letter, and hugged her tight. When he let go, she pulled back and smiled at him.

"Now, all I have to do is figure out a first name for this kid," she joked, hand on her stomach. Sirius smiled.

"So you are gonna use them?"

"Yeah, one of those along with Perry as a middle name. So something Kyle or Kayla Perry Black." Sirius looked at her, confused, but then figured it out.

"His last name's Perry?" She nodded.

"Yep. This way we each get our pick of names," she told him. "It's not that I don't want him in the kid's life, it's just..." Skyler couldn't think of how to explain her reasoning, but Sirius just smiled at her reassuringly and pulled her into another hug.

"I know," he whispered. "And he's right, you **can** do this."

"I know," she said, trying not to cry.


	22. Late Night Chats

Late Night Chats

The end of the summer break for those returning to Hogwarts was fast approaching. Tomorrow they would get on the train back to Hogwarts. Not much had really been going on other than the regular order meetings. Skyler was trying to treat the whole pregnancy as a casual thing, though with the morning sickness and weird cravings it was getting harder. Fred was trying to be supportive but she was slowly pushing him away. Sirius could tell, but had a feeling Fred was just chalking it up to hormones.

That night after their dinner and everyone had went to bed Sirius found himself unable to sleep. He made his way into the kitchen to find and found Skyler with a very disgusting looking bowl of food.

"Sheesh, and I thought your mother had weird cravings when she was pregnant with you," he commented as he grabbed some cereal. Skyler smiled.

"What can I say? I think this kid might be a bigger eater than me," she joked.

"That's a scary thought," he said, shaking his head.

"Tell me about it," she said, nodding in agreement.

"So, you gonna tell me what's bothering you?" Sirius asked as he joined her at the table.

"Nothing's bothering me."

"You're a shitty liar."

"I am not!"

"OK, fine. I don't buy that crap though." Sirius was looking her in the eyes.

"Fine," Skyler sighed. Sometimes it sucked having a dad who could always tell when you were lying. "It's just..."

"Fred?" Sirius guessed.

"How'd you know?" He gave her a grin.

"You've got that look in your eyes."

"What look?" He rolled his eyes.

"You know what look Sky," he told her. Skyler let out an exasperated sigh. "He likes you. A lot."

"I know," she said. "I like him too. It's just..."

"You're pregnant and don't want him to get attached and start playing daddy?" Skyler just looked at her dad.

"You know that whole finishing my sentences thing is getting annoying." Sirius smiled.

"Would things be different if you weren't pregnant?" he asked her. Skyler looked a little taken aback by the question.

"Probably," she answered honestly, looking down.

"How? Skyler, you and I both know you'd still be pushing him away," he told her bluntly. She looked back up at him. "You get that whole commitment issue thing from me. You'd be trying to keep your distance whether you're pregnant or not. Being pregnant just gives you an excuse."

"No, being pregnant gives me a reason to break it off sooner than I normally would," Skyler told him defensively. Sirius stared at her for a minute.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Hasn't stopped you yet."

"Ha ha."

"Fine, ask."

"If you weren't pregnant with Jake's baby would you give Fred a chance?" Skyler looked confused so Sirius explained. "You said you really like Jake." Skyler nodded. "Coming here helped you forget about him, and you moved on to Fred." She rolled her eyes, but nodded. "Well, if you didn't have this connection to Jake would you still be trying to pull away from Fred?" She took a deep breath.

"OK, probably not. But I don't want him to be the rebound guy that gets hurt because he didn't listen to me when I said I just do casual," she added quickly. Sirius smiled. "What?"

"You like him."

"I wouldn't have slept with him if I didn't like him a little," she retorted.

"No, you really like him," he teased.

"Do not!"

"Do so!"

"Do not!"

"Oh yes you do Skyler. If you're going through this much to deny it, you must really like the guy."

Skyler opened her mouth to protest, but she realized her dad was right. She was falling for Fred, and that scared her.

_Holy shit I'm falling for the idiot!_

"Oh God! What am I going to do?" she panicked. Sirius watched. "Oh Jesus, what the hell am I doing? I can't fall for him!" She stood and started pacing.

Sirius stood and walked over to her. He grabbed her arm and pulled her into a hug. When he released her he held on to her shoulders and looked her in the eyes.

"Listen to me, you should know by now that we don't always get to choose who we fall for. I'm not gonna tell you what to do here. I know this is a complicated situation. I just have one piece of advice...listen to your instincts. They've never been wrong before have they?" Skyler shook her head. "So trust them."


End file.
